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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29167593">Off Track</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunniesofDoom/pseuds/BunniesofDoom'>BunniesofDoom</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amnesia, Blood, Concussions, F/F, Friendship, Head Injury, Hurt/Comfort, Ruby Rose (RWBY) Needs a Hug, Ruby Rose (RWBY) has PTSD, Temporary Amnesia, Volume 6 (RWBY), Vomiting</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:28:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,427</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29167593</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunniesofDoom/pseuds/BunniesofDoom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Do I—do I know you?"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose &amp; Yang Xiao Long</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>93</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Me: complains that I have too many aus already</p><p>Also me: starts writing another AU last night instead of sleeping</p><p>This is set at the beginning of volume 6. Content warning for mentions of blood. Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When the plan goes wrong, Ruby can't even bring herself to be surprised. Annoyed, maybe, tired, for sure, but definitely not surprised. It was silly of her to think that they could get to Argus with only a few minor setbacks.</p><p>The train groans loudly as it slips off the tracks and plunges into the surrounding snow. Ruby quickly loses her balance as the train tips precariously, swaying unsteadily as it encounters the snow. Her hands scrabble uselessly at the smooth metal of the train as she unsuccessfully tries to catch herself. With a sharp cry, she finds herself plummeting towards the snow.</p><p>And then her head collides with something hard, sending waves of sharp pain through her skull, and her vision tunnels rapidly before fading into blackness.</p><p> </p><p>Yang curses under her breath as she tries to dig Bumblebee out of the snow. She was in a bad mood even before they crashed, watching Weiss and Ruby fall back into their partnership effortlessly while she and Blake awkwardly danced around each other. Blake's constant hovering and apologies are already getting old, even if Yang knows that her partner means well.</p><p>It'd be a lot easier to be patient if Weiss and her sister didn't make it look so simple.</p><p>Speaking of Ruby, where is she? The rest of their group has gathered in a loose semicircle, halfheartedly trying to come up with a plan for what to do next, but Yang doesn't see her sister anywhere. And it's not like the younger girl is particularly hard to spot, her red cloak standing out sharply against the white snow. She glances around at the faces surrounding her to double check.</p><p>Nope, still no Ruby.</p><p>Even the old lady that was hiding in the back of the train is standing with them, trying to pretend that she can help them and that she isn't just dead weight that they'll have to drag along. Just great.</p><p>"Yang, don't be rude," a voice in the back of her mind scolds. It sounds an awful lot like her little sister.</p><p>"Sorry," she mutters under her breath, before turning back to the others. "Has anyone seen Ruby? I can't find her anywhere."</p><p>No one answers. Instead, they all exchange nervous glances, before Weiss finally pipes up. "I guess not," the former heiress says, biting her lip worriedly.</p><p>"Maybe we should split up to look for her?" Blake suggests, placing a calming hand on Yang's shoulder. She shrugs it off. Blake frowns. "She can't have gotten too far."</p><p>So, they split up, scouring the train and the surrounding snow for any sign of their leader. Yang tries not to let herself worry too much as she searches. Ruby can take care of herself. Her sister has proven that over and over, and she's told Yang as much, multiple times, with no shortage of annoyance. But some part of her can't help but see Ruby as the little girl sent to Beacon far too early, no matter how much time passes and how skilled of a fighter her sister becomes.</p><p>No matter how strong she gets, she'll always be Yang's little sister.</p><p>She hasn't been searching long when she practically stumbles over Ruby, lying facedown in the snow. Her sister doesn't respond at all when Yang calls her name, and as she looks closer, she realizes that the snow around her sister's head is stained pink with blood.</p><p>Her heart in her throat, she immediately kneels next to Ruby's prone body and begins to carefully turn her sister over, frantically inspecting her head for any signs of injury. Ruby is utterly still as Yang manhandles her, utterly limp in her arms, but her skin is warm to the touch and her pulse is rhythmic and steady.</p><p>Please let her be okay. Please, please, don't let me lose her too.</p><p>As soon as she gets a good look at her sister's face, Yang immediately spots the source of all the blood. There's a nasty gash across her sister's forehead, and while it definitely looks painful, and worrying, it doesn't look life-threatening. Head wounds always bleed a lot, she tells herself, unwinding the purple bandana that she keeps wrapped around her leg and pressing it to the cut. The cloth is quickly soaked in blood, but after a few minutes Yang can feel the bleeding starting to slow. Good.</p><p>Absently, she realizes that the others are still out there searching for Ruby. She should probably let them know that she found her sister. Cupping a bloody hand over her mouth, she shouts as loudly as she can. "I found her! Ruby's over here!" She replaces her hand on Ruby's forehead, ignoring the traces of blood the gesture left around her mouth.</p><p>Under her hands, Ruby groans faintly, mouth twitching as she stirs feebly. "That's it, wake up already," Yang says, voice gentle but firm. "Enough sleeping already. Open your eyes for me, c'mon, you can do it."</p><p>Ruby groans again, mumbling something unintelligible, before finally cracking her eyes open and squinting up at Yang. Puzzled silver meets worried lavender. "Wha' happened?"</p><p>"Glad to see that you're awake," Yang says, sighing in relief. Ruby's head has stopped bleeding, so Yang carefully wraps the bandana around the top of her head as a makeshift bandage. "It looks like you took a pretty hard hit to the head when the train crashed, enough to rattle even your thick skull. How're you feeling?"</p><p>"M' head hurts," Ruby mutters. The words come out slightly slurred. Yang's surprised that she's being so honest about it, but then again, her sister does look pretty rattled, her faced pinched with pain and confusion. "Where're we?"</p><p>Yang sighs. "Out stranded in the middle of nowhere, on our way to Argus."</p><p>Ruby squints up at her, looking bewildered. "Why're we—"</p><p>She trails off at the sound of footsteps in the snow behind them. Yang glances over her shoulder to see Weiss and Blake marching over to them, relief clear on their faces.</p><p>"Ruby, where have you been?" Weiss demands, masking her concern with anger. "We've been worried sick looking for you!"</p><p>"Is everything okay?" Blake asks more calmly, trailing behind Weiss. "What happened?"</p><p>"She must have hit her head when the train crashed," Yang explains. "But it doesn't look too bad. She should be okay."</p><p>"Ouch," Blake winces, crouching next to Yang. "How are you feeling?"</p><p>Ruby doesn't answer, instead looking up at her teammate with a mixture of terror and bewilderment on her face. "Ruby?" Weiss frowns at her partner. "What's wrong?"</p><p>The younger girl stares blankly up at her. Finally, she opens her mouth. "Do I—do I know you?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wrote this after sleeping for less than four hours so I have no idea if it's any good, but I'm impulsive so I'm going to post it anyway. One of these days I should really get a beta reader. Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Do I know you?"</p>
<p>The question makes Yang's heart drop. Surely, Ruby couldn't have hit her head that hard, right? She'd seemed dazed and confused, but there's no way she could have forgotten everything like that. That sort of thing only happens in the movies.</p>
<p>After everything that's already gone wrong today, Yang refuses to believe that this is possible. She masks her concern with anger. "Ruby, that's not funny. Quite messing around."</p>
<p>"I'm not!" Ruby winces, a hurt expression coming over her face. Yang immediately feels bad for yelling at her. "I just want to know what's going on. Where are we? What happened?"</p>
<p>"You—you really don't remember us?" Weiss asks, sounding more subdued than Yang has ever heard her before.</p>
<p>Ruby shakes her head. Silence falls over the four of them, broken only by the sound of the wind and the falling snow. They can't stay out here too much longer. Before it gets too dark, they're going to need to find somewhere to shelter for the night.</p>
<p>"Ruby." Blake's voice is gentle, but it still makes the younger girl flinch. "Sorry. My name's Blake." She smiles reassuringly at Ruby. "If you don't mind telling me, what's the last thing you remember?"</p>
<p>"Uh, sure." Ruby frowns, tilting her head slightly as she thinks for a moment. "Um, I was helping Yang pack for Beacon and then she dropped me off at Dust til Dawn so I could check out the new weapons magazines—and after that, I don't really remember anything else. What happened?"</p>
<p>"That's kind of a long story," Blake replies, exchanging a glance with the girls on either side of her. "And given that you took a pretty hard hit to the head, and it's freezing out here, we should probably talk about it somewhere else. Right, Yang?" She elbows her partner in the side.</p>
<p>Yang snaps out of her thoughts, shaking her head. "Of course. Blake's right. Let's get you out of here." She pushes herself hastily to her feet, offering a hand to Ruby to help her up. "Can you walk?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ruby's head hurts.</p>
<p>Nothing seems to make sense. The last thing she remembers is being in downtown Vale, on a warm fall evening, so why is she in the middle of nowhere now, surrounded by snow? Her sister is here, Yang looks different, from her clothes to the way she carries herself. And Ruby herself is different—her hair is in a new style, and she doesn't recognize the combat skirt she's wearing. What happened?</p>
<p>Trying to puzzle out everything only makes her headache worse.</p>
<p>She can't walk. She gives it a try, when Yang pulls her to her feet, but she can't quite seem to find her balance, and her legs tremble under her weight. When she tries to walk, she only makes it a few steps before collapsing to her knees, head spinning. Moving shouldn't be this hard, but she's so tired, and her head is pounding so much that she sees stars if she tilts her head the wrong way.</p>
<p>In the end, Yang ends up carrying her on her back the way she used to when they were little kids, while Ruby does her best not to drift off. "Rubes?" her sister says, nudging her foot slightly to get her attention.</p>
<p>"M'yeah?"</p>
<p>"You're awfully quiet up there."</p>
<p>"I'm tired," she says, barely able to keep the whine out of her voice.</p>
<p>"I'm sure you are, but try to stay awake a bit longer, okay? At least until we can get you cleaned up."</p>
<p>Ruby mumbles something in agreement, which is apparently enough for Yang, as she lets the matter drop. She focuses on staying awake, and not shivering even though she's absolutely freezing, not wanting to jostle her head any more than she has to. She huddles close to her sister, basking in the warmth from her semblance.</p>
<p>"You really don't remember going to Beacon?" A quiet voice startles her from her thoughts. She glances over to see that it's the white-haired girl from earlier.</p>
<p>It's a weird question. Ruby won't be old enough to apply to Beacon Academy for another two years. It's not like she's some prodigy or superstar that they would let in early. She's just an ordinary student at Signal Academy. She shakes her head, wincing as her head throbs in protest. "Um, no. Sorry, uh—"</p>
<p>"Weiss Schnee," the girl automatically supplies her name. She seems nice enough, but Ruby can sense a hint of something sharp under the surface. She half expects the girl to start yelling at her for not recognizing her, but instead she just smiles sadly, shaking her head.</p>
<p>Ruby wonders how these girls know her. She can't remember meeting them at all. Maybe they're some of Yang's friends? Her sister always was good at making friends wherever she went, unlike Ruby, who prefers weapons to people and spends most of her time working on Crescent Rose. Yeah, that would make sense.</p>
<p>Something about that explanation doesn't sit right with her, though.</p>
<p>It doesn't take them long to rejoin the rest of the group. Ruby doesn't recognize the old lady or the boy standing beside her, but she lights up when she sees her uncle. Finally, another familiar face. "Hey uncle Qrow!"</p>
<p>"What took you four so long? It's getting dark. We've been worried sick—oh." He trails off when he sees Ruby's face. "What happened?"</p>
<p>"Uncle Qrow," Yang begins hesitantly. "We've got a bit of a situation on our hands."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They decide to stay in the train for the night. The forest around them had already been shrouded in darkness by the time they'd explained what happened to Qrow, and it wasn't as if Ruby was in any shape to go anywhere fast. The younger girl had already dozed off after Qrow cleaned and bandaged her wounds and gave her a brief explanation of what was happening.</p>
<p>"So, she really doesn't remember attending Beacon?" Oscar asks. The frown creasing his face makes him look much older than fourteen.</p>
<p>"No." Blake shakes her head.</p>
<p>"She didn't recognize Blake and I at all," Weiss says glumly. Not being recognized by her own partner seems to be hitting her very hard.</p>
<p>"I see," Oscar's eyes are glowing faintly, indicating that Ozpin has taken control. "That is a troubling development."</p>
<p>"What should we do?" Yang scowls into the fire they've made at their makeshift campsite. "Qrow explained what he could, but Ruby's still pretty confused and out of it. She's not in any shape to be out here. We need to get her somewhere safe."</p>
<p>Ozpin nods in agreement. "It would be most prudent of us to make our way to Argus to rejoin the others as quickly as possible. From there, we can try to find a way to Atlas, and see how things develop further."</p>
<p>"Fair enough," Blake says. The rest of them nod in agreement. They're all still angry with Ozpin for hiding the truth about the lamp from them, but arguing about it now would only attract Grimm to them while they're stranded in the middle of the snowy woods. They'll have to discuss it later.</p>
<p>"I spotted a trail earlier while we were looking for your friend," Maria announces, as nonchalant as ever. "We could check it out in the morning. Trails usually lead somewhere."</p>
<p>"That sounds like a good place to start," Ozpin says, inclining his head towards Maria. "Now, tomorrow we'll need to get an early start, so I would suggest that—"</p>
<p>"Jaune!" Weiss exclaims suddenly. The others frown at her.</p>
<p>"I beg your pardon, Miss Schnee?"</p>
<p>Weiss blushes. "Sorry, professor. I was just thinking, Jaune can amplify other people's auras, so maybe he could amplify Ruby's aura and fix her memory loss?"</p>
<p>"That is certainly an idea. It would be useful to have Miss Rose back at full capacity. All the more reason for us to make our way to Argus as quickly as possible. Now, as I was saying before, we'll need to get an early start in the morning, so I suggest that the rest of you get inside and try to get some rest. I will take first watch." He glances up at the moon, keeping one hand on the lamp at his side. "I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to be an exceptionally difficult day."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading! Please comment and leave kudos if you liked it.</p>
<p>I am simultaneously excited and terrified for RWBY to start up again. I will be liveblogging the episodes every Saturday as they come out, so if anyone is interested in seeing me scream in horror and make terrible jokes, you can find my at fandomdabbles on tumblr. I've been told that it is entertaining.</p>
<p>Just a reminder that I do take requests for fics, so if there's an idea that you'd like to see me write, feel free to message me and if I like it, I might end up writing something for it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Things could be so much worse.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ruby's head is still aching when she wakes up the next morning. She still can't quite wrap her mind around what Qrow told her last night. It had sounded impossible—the relics, the maidens, Salem—not to mention the things she's apparently done. But she trusts her uncle. Qrow might not tell her everything, but he wouldn't lie to her about something this important.</p><p>And she can't deny that clearly there's a lot that she doesn't remember. Too many things are different for her to dismiss this as some sort of weird prank.</p><p>Gingerly, she shakes her head, trying to clear her troubled thoughts. "Time to get up and stop moping," she tells herself. If things are as bad as Qrow says, then there's no time to be sitting around. Ruby wants to be able to help in whatever way she can.</p><p>At least they have a plan. If she's remembering correctly, Qrow said that they were trying to get to Argus so that they could take the lamp to Atlas. And although they're currently stranded, they do have a goal in sight. They just have to figure out how to get there. Things could be so much worse.</p><p>So, despite her lingering headache, Ruby is in good spirits when she joins the others. She takes a seat next to her sister on the floor of the train car that they've gathered in, trying their best to stay out of the cold and wind and snow outside.</p><p>"Oh good, you're awake," Yang says, turning to look her over critically. "How are you feeling?"</p><p>"I'm okay," Ruby insists, shifting uncomfortably under the scrutiny. "Really, I'm fine." She decides to change the subject. "So, what's the plan?"</p><p>"Right." Yang doesn't seem terribly convinced. "I still don't think that you should be out here in these conditions. I'd like to get you out of here and looked over by someone who knows what they're doing." Ruby is about to roll her eyes when Yang continues. "Anyway, the old lady over there," she jabs her thumb in the direction of the elderly woman in question. "Said she found a path yesterday. We thought we'd follow it and see where it goes. Hopefully, it leads us closer to Argus, or at least somewhere with some more supplies."</p><p>"My name is Maria!" protests Maria.</p><p>"Yang, don't be rude," Ruby scolds.</p><p>"Sorry, sorry," Yang says. It's a half-hearted apology at best.</p><p>Still, Ruby will let it go for now. "So, uh—" She cuts herself off when realizes that everyone's eyes are on her, shifting uncomfortably under the weight of their gazes. It's as if they're expecting something from her, or waiting for her input for some reason. Like they expect her to make the call about what to do. She laughs nervously. "Uh, that sounds good to me."</p><p>Hopefully, she sounds more confident than she feels.</p><p>They gather their things, preparing to head out on the trail. Even though she's still exhausted and hurting, Ruby feels bolstered with the familiar weight of Crescent Rose at her hip. In the midst of all this uncertainty, at least her baby is still there for her.</p><p>She's about to ask if anyone else needs help when a flash of blue catches her eye. She kneels down on the floor of the train to investigate it more closely, picking it up to get a better look. It looks like an old-fashioned blue lamp, covered in intricate gold markings. It feels warm in her hand, like there's some sort of incredible energy contained inside.</p><p>This must be one of the relics Qrow had mentioned. The Lamp of Knowledge.</p><p>"Miss Rose, if you don't mind, I think I should be the one to carry the relic."</p><p>She jumps at the quiet voice, and turns around hastily, lamp in hand, to see the boy that Qrow had mentioned last night. His green eyes are glowing faintly. What was his name again? Oh, right. Oscar. Who is also Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy, through reincarnation?</p><p>Or something along those lines. It makes Ruby's head hurt to think about it for too long.</p><p>"Um, sure," she replies with a smile. "Here you go."</p><p>But just as she's about to hand it over, she finds herself hesitating. She can't put her finger on what, but something doesn't feel quite right about the situation.</p><p>"Miss Rose?" Oscar asks, sounding confused.</p><p>By now, the others have joined them.</p><p>"What's going on?" the white-haired girl—Weiss, her name is Weiss—demands, her arms folded across her chest. That sharpness that Ruby had sensed hidden under the surface last night is out in full force now.</p><p>"It's just that the Lamp is an incredibly powerful magical object," Oscar says, before hesitating. "I believe that it would be best if I held onto it."</p><p>That seems reasonable enough—but—but something doesn't feel quite right about this.</p><p>"Why?" Blake asks, sounding suspicious. "I thought that you said it couldn't be used right now, so why does it matter who carries it?"</p><p>"Unless there's something else that you haven't told us." Yang's steely tone makes Ruby flinch. "Like when you forgot to tell us that the Lamp would attract Grimm."</p><p>"It's not like that," Oscar/Ozpin protests. "I just didn't want to make you more anxious or afraid." He turns to Ruby again. "Please just hand me the lamp. I feel it is my burden to carry." He reaches out his hand to take it from her, and once again, Ruby finds herself hesitating.</p><p>"Ah!" Oscar's eyes flash, and he yanks his hand back with a cry of pain. "There's something he doesn't want you to know," he chokes out through gritted teeth.</p><p>Ruby takes a step forward, concerned. "Are you okay?</p><p>"Her name is Jinn," is all that Oscar says. "Please, you have to hurry."</p><p>"Hold on, let's talk about this for a second—" Qrow finally decides to step in.</p><p>But he's too late. The longer Ruby waits, the more she knows that something about this isn't right. "Jinn?" she says quietly, holding the lamp up at eye level.</p><p>Around them, the snow freezes in midair.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Time to ask Jinn a question.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Surprise! Bet you'd thought you'd seen the last of me. Yes, I am still working on this story. I've just been struggling with writer's block lately, and I had to do a lot of thinking in order to make this particular chapter work. But, on the bright side, with all my brainstorming I now have a much better idea of where I want this story to go. That's right, we're in it for the long haul! Because I definitely needed another AU to work on. Anyway, enjoy! Content warning for canonical major character death that occurs in a flashback.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The trees around them suddenly still, seemingly free of the wind whipping through their branches. The air itself seems to have frozen in place. Time itself seems to have stopped. For a brief moment, Ruby feels a spike of panic, wondering if something has gone horribly wrong.</p>
<p>What was that? What happened? What has she done?</p>
<p>But before she can allow herself to freak out properly, she's distracted once more by the lamp, which has started spewing blue spoke. A beautiful woman with blue skin emerges, stretching dramatically before finally opening her eyes to gaze at them curiously. She has a kind face and sharp, piercing dark eyes and she seems very, very, very wise. And old. It's not that she looks old, not really, but there's just something about her that seems ancient, timeless, as if she's been around for a very long time.</p>
<p>"Who are you?" Ruby asks, her voice full of awe. The words tumble out of her mouth before she can think about them, and she glances up at the woman's face with a nervous swallow.</p>
<p>She doesn't seem angry, though. The woman chuckles softly, smiling at Ruby. "Right, I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Jinn. I am the spirit of the lamp." She pauses for a moment, as if waiting for a response, but they all remain quiet, shocked into silence. Her gaze falls on Oscar. "It's good to see you again, Ozpin. It's been a long time."</p>
<p>Shaking her head, she turns to face the rest of them once more. "I suppose that you called on me for knowledge, then. You're in luck. Right now, I can still answer two more questions this millennium."</p>
<p>"Wait, you still have questions left?" Yang interjects sharply, rounding on Ozpin. "Then how come you told us that they were all used up?"</p>
<p>Ozpin takes a step back, his face going pale. "Well—you see, I was—"</p>
<p>Weiss cuts off his stuttering excuses. "Never mind that. We can worry about it later. Ask her a question, Ruby, before he can figure out how to stop us from getting answers."</p>
<p>"M—me?" Ruby squeaks, taken aback by being put on the spot like that.</p>
<p>Blake nods at her. "Yes." When Qrow opens his mouth to object, she shoots him a glare, silencing him instantly.</p>
<p>Yang places a hand on her shoulder. "Of course. Ruby, somehow you always seem to know the right thing to do. I trust you. We all do. So, we'll follow your lead on this one."</p>
<p>None of that really eases the pressure or anxiety that she's feeling, but her friends' and sister's trust in her does help her feel more confident. Even if a large part of her worries that that trust is misplaced.</p>
<p>Taking a deep breath, she glances up at Jinn once more. The strange woman has been waiting patiently as they bickered among themselves. She swallows hard, willing her nerves to subside a bit, and closes her eyes, thinking hard about everything that's happened in the past day, about everything Qrow told her. What would be the best thing to ask? What do they need to know?</p>
<p>And then, all of a sudden, it comes to her. She knows what she needs to ask.</p>
<p>"What do we need to know to defeat Salem?"</p>
<p>Jinn smiles broadly. Around her, colors shift and swirl, the landscape changing from the snowy forest that they've been stranded in, to a land she doesn't recognize. "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young woman named Salem."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"But not all of my answers were to his liking," Jinn announced gravely. In the background, a man in a suit, a past incarnation of Ozpin, collapsed to his knees in despair.</p>
<p>"How do I kill Salem?" he had asked desperately.</p>
<p>"You can't," Jinn replied solemnly.</p>
<p>"But," the Jinn of the present interjected. "All hope is not lost. There are ways to fight back against Salem and her army of Grimm, if one is simply clever and resourceful enough." The scenery around them begins to change again. "Not just with weapons and semblances, but with a power passed down through certain families of Remnant for generations."</p>
<p>The mist surrounding them solidifies once more, revealing that they are now standing at the top of a tall tower that overlooks all of Beacon Academy. Beacon Tower. Ruby knows the campus of her dream school like the back of her hand.</p>
<p>But in the vision that Jinn is showing them, the school looks nothing like the last time Ruby toured it. Below them, fires burn, and the screams of students and the roars of Grimm ring out in the darkness of the night. Beacon is under attack, and Ruby has to resist the urge to unsheathe Crescent Rose and jump in to help with the fight, to protect the school and its people. But there's nothing she can do.</p>
<p>And that's not even the worst of it.</p>
<p>On the tower with them are two young women. One of them, Ruby has never seen before. She has short, dark hair and amber eyes. Her lips are curled up in a cruel smirk as she stands over the other woman.</p>
<p>Ruby immediately recognizes the girl kneeling in front of her, the one with long red hair and bright green eyes. It's Pyrrha Nikos, the champion of the Mistrali tournament circuits. Ruby has admired her for years, eagerly watching her fights and mimicking some of her strategies. She's a legend, practically unbeatable in the arena.</p>
<p>But all her fighting skill doesn't seem to help her now. As she watches in horror, Pyrrha is shot through the heart with an arrow by the cruel woman, whose smirk seems to widen as the injured girl gasps in pain. Ruby gasps as well, clapping a hand to her mouth. This is brutal. She can hear her friends exclaim in shock behind her, but she doesn't turn to look, gaze hopelessly locked on the tragedy unfolding in front of her.</p>
<p>"Pyrrha," Weiss murmurs, sounding close to tears.</p>
<p>"Such a pity that you were promised a power that was never truly yours," her killer says, casually, as if they were just having a friendly chat. "But I can assure you that I will make use of it in ways that you could never dream of." She places a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder, and in a flash of light, the girl's body crumbles to ash.</p>
<p>Tears prick at Ruby's eyes. There's a scream lodged in her throat that refuses to come out.</p>
<p>Why is Jinn showing them this?</p>
<p>Then, suddenly, Ruby watches in disbelief as she—or another version of her, anyway—appears in her usual cloud of rose petals. She can see the grief and horror in her other self's face as she inevitably realizes that she's too late to help. There's nothing she can do.</p>
<p>And then, suddenly, the other Ruby's eyes begin to glow pure white. The light expands rapidly until it envelops the entire tower, and Ruby squints against its blinding intensity. When it finally fades, both Ruby and Pyrrha's attacker are lying on the ground, motionless. The screams and roars from below have faded into silence.</p>
<p>And the giant Grimm that had been circling the tower is frozen, encased in stone.</p>
<p>Ruby blinks in shock. What the—</p>
<p>Before she can ask any questions, however, the scenery around them dissolves into fog again, blurring and swirling until finally settling to form a desolate landscape containing many deep pits with flimsy-looking rope bridges strung across. As they watch in confusion, a young woman with long, dark hair tied back in a braid and wearing a mask designed to look like a skull. Through the eyeholes in the mask, Ruby can just make out bright silver eyes gleaming in the dim light.</p>
<p>Just like hers.</p>
<p>Behind her, the older woman—Maria, her name is Maria—gasps quietly. "The Grimm Reaper?" Qrow exclaims.</p>
<p>Suddenly, a Nevermore lunges at the woman with a shriek. Ruby feels a sharp pang of worry, but before the creature can lay a single claw on the woman, she glances at it. Her eyes glow a brilliant white, just like Ruby's did before, illuminating the desolate valley. With one last screech, the Nevermore dissolves into nothingness.</p>
<p>Between one blink and the next, they're once more standing in the snowy clearing, their surroundings still frozen in time. "I hope that you will use this knowledge I have gifted you wisely," Jinn says, before vanishing once more in a puff of blue smoke.</p>
<p>Around them, the snow begins to swirl fiercely again, wind whipping viciously through the trees as they stare at each other in silent disbelief.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading! Please comment and leave kudos if you liked it.</p>
<p>Should be a bit easier to work on this story now that I have a better idea of where it's going.</p>
<p>Just a reminder that I do take requests for fics, so if there's an idea that you'd like to see me write, feel free to message me and if I like it, I might end up writing something for it. Also, if you like one of my ideas and want to write your own fic for it, feel free! I'm not possessive with my ideas, and most of my writing is self-indulgent anyway, so all that I ask is that you let me know so I can read it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The gang arrives at depression manor, and tensions continue to rise.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Figured I'd keep working on this while I'm on a roll. Content warnings for (brief) descriptions of dead bodies and mentions of vomiting. Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The mood among their group is somehow icier and stormier than the snow and wind whirling around them.</p>
<p>Ruby wishes that she knew what to do. Her head is spinning, and she just wants to take a few hours to sit down and process what they just learned, and maybe ask a few more questions. She knows that she still doesn't have the full picture of everything that's happened, which frustrates her to no end. Unfortunately, getting a chance to rest and think doesn't seem likely to happen anytime soon.</p>
<p>For one, the snowstorm around them has only gotten worse. They need to get moving, to find a place to shelter and get warm and regroup. And, on top of that, Ruby doesn't think she's ever seen Yang so angry before. Qrow, too. They're both shouting at Oscar, absolutely furious, as the younger boy holds his hands up in surrender, trying in vain to calm everyone's turbulent emotions.</p>
<p>Blake, too, seems less than pleased, watching the argument unfold with her arms folded across her chest. Beside her, Weiss seems more sad than angry, a despondent look on her face as she murmurs Pyrrha's name again. Ruby is about to place a hand on her shoulder, to try to comfort her as best she can, when she hears the argument between Qrow, Yang, and Oscar escalate, their shouts growing louder.</p>
<p>As she watches in horror, Qrow advances on Oscar, his fist raised. Before anyone else can try to do or say anything, Ruby is on the move, appearing in a cloud of rose petals just in time to snatch Qrow's arm away before his fist connects with Oscar's face.</p>
<p>Whoa. That was weird. Ruby has always struggled to use her semblance consistently, especially when she's emotional. And if she isn't emotional right now, she doesn't know what she is. But she'd managed to use her semblance almost effortlessly right then.</p>
<p>It's definitely shocking, but unfortunately there's no time to think about it right now. Shaking her head to clear it, Ruby rounds on her sister and Qrow with a fierce scowl. "Leave him alone! He's just a kid. I get that you guys are angry right now, but fighting like this isn't going to help anything."</p>
<p>Before they can open their mouths to argue with her, Maria chimes in. "The girl's right," she says in an admonishing tone, striding over to them. "It's cold out here, and storming. We need to get to shelter before we freeze. You can continue your little argument once we're not stranded out here in the snow."</p>
<p>"Well, where do you suggest we go?" Yang snaps, ever the diplomat. "In case you haven't noticed, we're kind of lost right now."</p>
<p>Maria doesn't rise to the bait. "There's a trail over there," she announces, gesturing to it with her cane. "Trails usually lead somewhere." When none of them start walking, she sighs heavily. "C'mon! Let's get moving!" she says impatiently. "I've lived too long to die out in the cold like this.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They find the farmhouse just in time. The snow swirling outside has grown so thick that they can barely see more than a few feet in front of them. Any longer and they would have been lost in the snow with no chance of making it back to civilization.</p>
<p>Ruby hates it here.</p>
<p>Everything about this place just feels—wrong, for some reason. Her skin has been crawling ever since they stepped through the gate. She swears she can hear whispers in the dark corners of the abandoned rooms, and movement in the shadows out of the corners of her eyes.</p>
<p>It's probably nothing, she tries to tell herself. She's probably just imagining things, after the day they've had. They're all stressed right now. It's been a long day. She'll feel better after she gets some rest, gets her head on straight. She tries to stay calm while Yang and Weiss check out the rest of the house. They're just staying here until the storm clears, after all.</p>
<p>Still, she can't shake the feeling of being watched, the feeling that something is just not right about this place.</p>
<p>Weiss' scream shatters the tense silence. Within seconds, she's on her feet, rushing ahead of the rest of the group in a blur of red to check on her friend.</p>
<p>She finds Yang and Weiss in one of the bedrooms. Yang looks incredibly startled, her hands clamped over her mouth, while Weiss is sprawled on the floor, her face pale and her eyes wide. Ruby is about to try to comfort them when she sees what they've found.</p>
<p>There are dead bodies in the bed.</p>
<p>It's horrifying. The bodies are old—at least, Ruby thinks they are. She doesn't really have any experience with this sort of thing. They look like those mummies from her old History of Remnant textbook, all old and wrinkled and sagging and filling the room with the scent of death—</p>
<p>Ruby throws up. This is too much too fast, she doesn't know how much more she can take and she just wants to go home please please please—</p>
<p>She loses track of time for a while. The next time she's aware of what's happening around her, she's shivering on the couch, wrapped in several blankets while the others hover around her in concern. They're discussing something, but she can't quite seem to make out what they're saying. It sounds like they're having the conversation underwater, or in another room across the house from her.</p>
<p>Ruby shifts slightly, and suddenly, everyone's eyes are on her. Yang crouches in front of her, relief written clearly on her face. "Ruby!" she exclaims. "How are you feeling?"</p>
<p>It's uncomfortable with everyone staring at her expectantly. Ruby blinks, feeling sluggish. "Uh, not great," she admits. "But I'm okay."</p>
<p>"We need to get out of here," Weiss says. She still looks pretty shaken up from earlier.</p>
<p>"The storm outside is still pretty bad, but it should clear up a bit by morning," Qrow announces. "We should get a move on as soon as we can. I've got a bad feeling about this place."</p>
<p>"Is there anyone who doesn't?" Oscar mutters under his breath.</p>
<p>"Are we just planning to walk all the way to Argus?" Weiss asks, folding her arms over her chest.</p>
<p>"There's a storage shed next to the house. There might be something we can use in there," Blake suggests quietly.</p>
<p>"Yang, go with her and check it out," Qrow says. "None of you should go anywhere without a partner.</p>
<p>Yang looks torn. "But—" she starts to protest.</p>
<p>"I'll be okay," Ruby assures her, forcing herself to sit up straight and smile. Reluctantly, her sister turns to follow Blake.</p>
<p>Sitting on the couch, Ruby can practically feel the tension radiating off Weiss. She isn't startled at all when the white-haired girl opens her mouth. "Are you really okay?" she asks quietly, twisting her hands in her lap.</p>
<p>"I'm okay," Ruby tries to reassure her. "Just tired, and ready for this day to be over already." Weiss chuckles softly. "How about you? Are you okay?"</p>
<p>Weiss nods. "Yeah. I just—want to get out of this place."</p>
<p>"Me too," Ruby agrees. She's glad that she's not the only one sensing the bad vibes from this creepy old house.</p>
<p>"Um," Weiss mumbles, shifting next to her. "Do you want to go see if there's some food around here that we could eat? I think that Yang and I stumbled across the kitchen earlier. I know that you used to tell me that you always felt better after a good meal."</p>
<p>Ruby isn't even remotely hungry right now, and she highly doubts that there's anything edible available in this old, abandoned house, but she can recognize an attempt to make her feel better when she sees one. "Sure," she says, shooting Weiss a small smile. "Let's go."</p>
<p>They find a lot of cobwebs during their search, and a whole lot of alcohol, but eventually they stumble across a holy grail—a can of beans. Ruby asks Weiss to keep the lights off in the other rooms they pass through. Qrow tends to drink a lot more when he's angry or stressed or upset, and she knows that her uncle is all three of those right now. They're going to need him sharp if they want to make it out of here.</p>
<p>There's an uneasy feeling still gnawing at Ruby as they settle down to sleep. They're only staying here until morning comes, she reminds herself. As soon as the storm dies down a bit, and its light outside, they'll be out of here.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading! Please comment and leave kudos if you liked it.</p>
<p>Just a reminder that I do take requests for fics, so if there's an idea that you'd like to see me write, feel free to message me and if I like it, I might end up writing something for it. Also, if you like one of my ideas and want to write your own fic for it, feel free! I'm not possessive with my ideas, and most of my writing is self-indulgent anyway, so all that I ask is that you let me know so I can read it.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! Please comment and leave kudos if you liked it.</p><p>Anyone else entirely unprepared for RWBY to start up again? Someone reminded me that we'll be getting new episodes of volume 8 soon and I immediately freaked out, I am so unprepared for whatever they're going to throw at us next lol.</p><p>Also I love that I was a neuroscience major and know full well that amnesia doesn't work Like That, but I ignore it because I love that trope.</p><p>Just a reminder that I do take requests for fics, so if there's an idea that you'd like to see me write, feel free to message me and if I like it, I might end up writing something for it.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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